“He is not here. He is risen.” Matthew 28:6. In seven words, that’s the Easter message. Several years ago, the Christian Century magazine asked this question: “What would you say is the core of the gospel? Can you state it in seven words or less?”
What an enormous task! As Easter people, how would you answer it?
The editors of the magazine did add that contributors could use 75 words of explanation. But even 75 words is not a lot. To put it in perspective, my average sermon is about 1,750 words.
During this Season of Eastertide, how would you sum up the gospel in seven words? The writers did a wonderful job with the assignment. Here are a sample of a few:
- Love God. Love others. Love Yourself. Serve.
- God loves the whole world… No exceptions!
- Sin destroys life; Jesus resurrects it.
- Everybody gets to grow and change.
- God loves you, so get over yourself.
As for my own attempt, (you might recognize it), here’s what I came up with:
Share God’s love, justice, and welcome.
Quite possibly, the best choice is the traditional back and forth liturgical dialogue we repeat each Easter. Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed!
Shalom, Paul